This survey collects statistics on children aged 0-12 years and their families. Information is collected about the use of formal and informal care, requirements for additional preschool/kindergarten or formal care, patterns of child care attendance, child care costs, the use of the child care benefit, working arrangements used by parents to help care for their children and parental income. The survey also presents characteristics of children aged 0-8 in their early learning years through the collection of information about the types of formal, non-formal and informal learning activities they engage in and the environments in which they take place. Information is also collected about patterns of attendance at preschool/kindergarten and school, including historical and usual attendance, and frequency of attendance.

This Technical Manual provides information about the data available from the 2008 Childhood Education and Care Survey in the form of a Confidentialised Unit Record File (CURF).

The CURF contains a set of data items and is only accessible through the Remote Access Data Laboratory. For more information about accessing CURFs, see Access to CURFs at www.abs.gov.au.

The publication explains data content, technical details and conditions of use and is available on the ABS web site and via the 'Information by' link on the RADL home page.